Kiwi plant named &#39;hortgem wha&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct kiwi plant of the species  Actinidia arguta  (Sieb &amp; Zucc.) Planch. ex Miq. var.  arguta  Li is described. The variety results from a controlled pollination using a female  A. arguta  selection AA05_01 of unknown parentage and a male  A. arguta  selection AA13_01 of unknown parentage. Both named parents (AA05_01 and AA13_01) are unpatented. The new variety is distinguished by its green hairless, edible skin, small fruit size, oblong shape and sweet aromatic taste.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0001] Kiwi plants in cultivation are mainly varieties of A. deliciosa,particularly ‘Hayward’ although some A. chinensis and A. argutavarieties are grown. A. deliciosa and A. chinensis are closely related,whereas A. arguta is classified in a separate section of the genus. A.deliciosa and A. chinensis varieties have large fruit (˜100 g) with hairon the skin. The main varieties in New Zealand are ‘Hayward’ (A.deliciosa) and ‘Hort16A’ (A. chinensis). Fruit are usually cut and eatenwith a spoon. A arguta has small fruit (˜10 g) with no hair on the skin.The skin is edible so these fruit can be eaten whole, like a grape.

[0002] All Actinidia species are dioecious, so female varieties have tobe interplanted with male pollinizers to ensure fruit production.

[0003]A. arguta vines are deciduous and tend to grow vigorously inspring and summer when rapidly-growing shoots can intertwine and tangleif not managed. Vines do best in a mild temperate climate without latespring or early autumn frosts. They produce consistent heavy crops whengrown in well-drained fertile soils and given regular irrigation in dryspells.

[0004]A. arguta flowers in spring (late October-early December) in NewZealand. Harvest of A. arguta fruit may occur between early February andlate March in New Zealand depending on the selection and location ofplantings. Compared to A. deliciosa and A. chinensis, A. arguta fruitrequire more careful handling during harvest and post-harvestprocedures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention is a new and distinctive kiwi plant havinga small, generally oblong shaped fruit with green hairless edible skin.This new variety is designated ‘Hortgem Wha’ and is derived from acontrolled pollination of AA05_(—)01, a female A. arguta selection ofunknown parentage (unpatented), with AA13_(—)01, a male A. argutaselection of unknown parentage (unpatented).

[0006] The female parent arose from a seed family collected in thedistrict Aomori, North Honshu, Japan and was introduced to New Zealandin 1977. The male parent was introduced as scionwood from the RoyalBotanic Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland to New Zealand in 1982. Theprovenance of both is unknown.

[0007] This new variety was created during the course of a plannedplant-breeding program, which was initiated during 1987 at HortResearchin Auckland, New Zealand. The controlled cross was made in November1987. Seeds were sown in autumn (March) 1988 and 102 seedlings from thiscross were planted out in the field at HortResearch Kumeu ResearchOrchard in spring (October) 1988. The seedlings first fruited inFebruary-March 1991. Twenty promising female seedlings were clonallypropagated into a two-site replicated trial in 1995 and ‘Hortgem Wha’(breeding code K2E5) was selected after storage and sensory evaluationin 1998.

[0008] The new variety can be asexually reproduced as cuttings or bygrafting or budding on to seedling or cutting-grown rootstocks of A.arguta. Trial plantings as cuttings established in 1995 at Te Puke andNelson Research Centres and on seedling rootstocks established in 1998at these sites have shown that the unique combination of characters cometrue to form and are established and transmitted through succeedingasexual propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS

[0009]FIG. 1 shows typical fruit of the variety ‘Hortgem Wha’ in theorchard

[0010]FIG. 2 shows typical fruit of the variety ‘Hortgem Wha’ in thestudio

[0011]FIG. 3 shows a stem end view ‘Hortgem Wha’ fruit

[0012]FIG. 4 shows a stylar end view of “Hortgem Wha” fruit

[0013]FIG. 5 shows ‘Hortgem Wha’ fruit in cross-section

[0014]FIG. 6 shows ‘Hortgem Wha’ fruit in longitudinal-section

[0015]FIG. 7 shows leaves of the variety ‘Hortgem Wha’

[0016]FIG. 8 shows flowers of the variety “Hortgem Wha’

[0017] Photographs of fruit were taken after the normal harvest date andare depicted in colors as nearly true as is reasonably possible to makethe same in a color illustration of this character. Fruit skin color mayvary depending upon extent of exposure to direct sunlight.

COMPARISON TO CLOSEST VARIETY

[0018] The distinctive characteristics of this new kiwi variety,described in detail below, were observed in 2001 at Te Puke, NewZealand. The plants observed were established from cuttings and were 6years old at the time. ‘Hortgem Wha’ is a new variety of A. argutadistinctive in its own right. Comparison with another similar variety‘Hortgem Tahi’ (application Ser. No. 09/780,809) showed that ‘HortgemToru’ may be distinguished as follows: Expression Expression of the ofthe characteristics characteristic for for the similar the candidateSimilar variety Characteristic variety variety Hortgem Tahi Fruit shapespheroid oblong Hortgem Tahi Start of harvest late Feb late Feb-earlyMarch Hortgem Tahi Storage life of ˜10-12 weeks ˜6-8 weeks fruit at 0°C. in air storage

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

[0019] The new variety ‘Hortgem Wha’ is pistallate, with morphologicallyperfect but functionally imperfect flowers, i.e. the flowers produceonly sterile pollen and thus require a pollinizer for fruit production.Characteristics of the new variety include a short period (˜3 months)between flowering and harvest, early harvest, small oblong fruit withgreen hairless edible skin, green flesh and a sweet aromatic flavour.TABLE OF CHARACTERISTICS Horticultural terminology is used in accordancewith revised UPOV guide- lines for kiwi. All dimensions in millimeters,weights in grams (unless otherwise stated). Where a color reference isgiven these refer to the RHS Colour Chart, the Royal HorticulturalSociety, London. 3^(rd) Edition, 1995. PLANT (Measurements from samplesof 20, unless stated) Plant: sex expression Female Plant: vigour StrongYoung shoot: hairs Present Young shoot: density of hairs Sparse Youngshoot: type of hairs Tomentose Young shoot: anthocyanin colorationStrong of growing tip Young shoot: anthocyanin coloration Absent or veryweak of leaf axil STEM Stem: coloration of leaf axil Absent or very weakStem: diameter Thin; mean 9.1 (range 8.5-10.0) Stem: dormant buddiameter Small, 1.2 mm (range 0.8-1.5) Stem: color on upper side ofshoot Greyed-Orange 186B Stem: character of bark Smooth Stem: hairsAbsent Stem: conspicuousness of lenticels Conspicuous Stem: number oflenticels Many Stem: color of lenticels Light red brown Stem: size ofbud support 4.8 (range 3.8-5.7) Stem: visibility of bud (dormant Visiblecanes) Stem: number of hairs visible on bud Absent (dormant canes) Stem:leaf scar Deep STEM (Mature) Leaf: general shape of blade Ovate/broadovate Leaf: length 115.4 mm (101-131) Leaf: width 68.4 mm (57-84) Leaf:petiole length 53.5 mm (43-73) Leaf: shape of tip of blade Caudate Leaf:shape of base of blade Rounded Leaf: arrangement of leaf bases Far apartLeaf: puckering/blistering on upper Absent or very weak side of bladeLeaf: margin Ciliate Leaf: green color of upper side of Medium bladeLeaf: glossiness of upper side of Medium blade Leaf: color of lower sideof blade Light green Leaf: glaucosity (lower side of blade) Absent Leaf:hairs on petiole Absent or very weak Leaf: density of hairs on petioleAbsent or very sparsek Leaf: anthocyanin coloration on Medium upper sideof petiole FLOWER Influorescence: predominant number Three of flowers:Pedicel: length Short 28.1 mm (range 20.6-33.7) Pedicel: hairs SparsePedicel: length of hairs Very short Flower: number of sepais 5.8 (range5-7) Flower: color of sepais Reddish brown Flower: diameter (terminal orking Small 28.2 (range 26.3-30.6) flower when fully open) Flower: petallength 15.1 (range 13.3-17.1) Flower: petal width 10.3 (range 8.7-12.4)Flower: petal length/width ratio 1.5 (range 1.12-1.84) Flower: meannumber of petals per 6.1 (range 5-7) flower Flower: number of flowerswith more 6 out of 20 (4 with 5, 10 with 6) than six petals Flower:arrangement of petals Overlapping Flower: petal shoulder Non-constrictFlower: primary color of petals Green white 157A (when fully open)Flower: type of coloration of petals Uniform over entire petal Flower:number of stamens 44.4 (range 36-49) Flower: length of stamen filaments4.2 (range 3.5-4.7) Flower: length of anthers 2.4 (range 2.1-2.6)Flower: filament color Light green Flower: anther color Black Flower:style number 23.8 (range 21-28) Flower: length of styles 3.7 (range3.0-4.2) Flower: attitude of styles Semi-erect Flower: curvature ofstyles Weak Flower: length of ovary 7.9 (range 7.2-8.5) Flower: amountof hair on ovary Absent Flower: color of ovary Yellow green 145A FRUITFruit: overall size 8.5 g (7.4-11.4) Fruit: length 32.0 mm (30-40)Fruit: width (max) 23.3 mm (21-26) Fruit: width (min) 19.7 mm (18-22)Fruit: core diameter (max) 8.6 mm (6-12) Fruit: core diameter (min) 4.2mm (3-5) Fruit locule number 23.6 (19-27) Fruit peduncle length 27.9 mm(20-36) Fruit: peduncle width 1.7 mm (1.3-2.3) Fruit: general shapeOblong Fruit: cross section ar median Oblate Fruit: general shape ofstylar end Slightly pointed protruding Fruit: shape of shoulder on stalkend Square Fruit: skin color at harvest (fruit Medium green still hard)Fruit: skin color change during Medium green ripening Fruit: skin colorat maturity for Medium green consumption Fruit: hairs Absent Fruit: corediamerter (at largest Medium diameter) Fruit: core shape (in crossTransverse elliptic section) Fruit: core woody spike Absent Fruit: outerpericarp color at Green maturity for consumption Fruit: inner pericarpcol. (locules) Green at mat. for consumption Fruit: core color atmaturity Green white Fruit: seed color at maturity (in flesh) Dark redbrown Fruit: seed colour when dry Red brown EVENTS Time of vegetativebudbreak Early-mid September Time of beginning of flowering Early-midNovember Time of maturity for harvest (at nor- Late February-early Marchmalized Brix level) Fruit: outer pericarp color at matur- 139B/141B ityfor consumption Fruit: inner pericarp col. (locules) at 139B/141B mat.for consumtpion Fruit: core color at harvest 154D/157C Fruit: seed color(in flesh) 172B/175C Fruit: seed solour (dry seed) 172B/175C Fruit: skincolor at maturioty 141A/143A Leaf: color upper side (in mature leaf136A/139A after petal fall) Leaf: color of flower side (in mature138A/141A leaf after petal fall) Flower: color of main body of petals157A Flower: color of ovary 145A Plant stem: color on exposed side166B/176A

HORTICULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS

[0020] Details below relate to observations made on cutting-grown plantsgrowing at HortResearch Te Puke Research Centre, New Zealand. Thesevines were 3 years old.

[0021] Cropping: young vines of ‘Hortgem Wha’ are precocious, beginningto bear in their second year and are expected to reach full capacity atabout 7 years. The storage life of ‘Hortgem Wha’ fruit is 6-8 weeks at0° C., if stored in unventilated containers in air storage.

[0022] Yield and fruit size: (Data from harvesting all fruit from 8vines in early March 1999)

[0023] Mean fruit weight: 7.34 g Maximum: 7.85 g Minimum: 6.53 g

[0024] Mean fruit number: 845 Maximum: 1,498 Minimum: 297

[0025] Mean yield: 6.2 kg Maximum: 11.1 kg Minimum: 2.3 kg

[0026] It is anticipated mature, well-managed vines would yieldapproximately 5000 fruit per vine with a mean fruit weight of 10 g andmean yield per vine of 50 kg.

1. A new and distinct kiwi plant of the species A. arguta substantiallyas herein described and illustrated, characterized by small oblong fruitwith green hairless edible skin and green flesh with a sweet aromaticflavor.